St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-03-06
BiOGR PH9CAL.
The Record of q Long and Active
Life--WOrk as II Preacher and A u.
rr,or.-Cha ,Eilrnn Scanh.l

Henry Ward Beecher was born in Litch-
field, Conn.,, June "a, 1913. and is therefore
nearly "A years of age. He was graduated at
Amherst college in 1884, and studied
theology at Lane seminary. He became
pastor in 1887 of a Presbyterian church
at Lawrenceberg and two years later went to
indianapolis, Ind. In 1S47 he received call
from the Plymouth church, a new Congrega-
uonalist organization in Brooklyn, N. Y.
Plymouth church of to-day, probably the
largest church and congregation in America.
Almost from the outset of his career in
Brooklyn he began to acquire that
reputation as pulpit orator which he has
maintained and increased sduring the whole
forty years OF his pastorate. He always dis
carded the mere conventionalities of the cler-
ical profession. He believed that humor had
place in a sermon as well as argument and
exhortation. He was fond of illustration,
possessed of a keen sense of fun, and highly
dramatic in his manner. He believed
that Christianity was not series of
philosophical or metaphysical dogmas, but
rule of life in every phase. He has never
hesitated to discuss from the pulpit all great
social and political questions of the day, and
mas enjoyed wide popularity as a lecturer
and orator at public meetings. During the
year 1856, before he began to preach, he ed
tied the Cincinnati Journal, and while pastor
at indianapolis edited an agricultural paper,
his contributions to the latter being pub
lShed under the title of Fruits, Flowers and
Farming" For nearly twenty years ne was a
contributor to the Independent, and from 1861
to 1868 was its editor. HIS contributions were
signed with a ''r,'' and many of them were
afterwards published as 1.-The Star Papers,"
For several years ne was editor of The Chris
tian Union, beginning in 1870. His weekly
sermons as taken down by stenographers
since 1859. have been published under the
title OF 1.-The Plymouth Pulpit" and form
about twenty volumes. He has also
published, Lectures to Young Men," "In-
dustry and Idleness;' Life Thoughts" in
two editions. edited by Edna Dean Proctor
and Augusta Moore; Sermons on Liberty
and War; 1.-THE Plymouth Collections of
Hymns and Tunes Norwood" a novel,
originally published in the New
York Ledger; sermons from Pub
lished and Unpublished Discourses," in
two volumes; 1.-THE Life of Christ" in two
volumes, and yale Lectures on PREACHING"
In 1858 he visited England with special
view to disabuse the public in regard to the
issues of the civil war, and his speeches ex-
erted a wide influence in changing public
sentiment which had been strongly
in favor of the Southern Confederacy.
These speeches were published in England.
In 1874 he was involved in the famous scam
dai, which had for its central figures himself,
Mr.. and Mrs. Tilton, Moulton, the mutual
frien1,'' and Others Both Tilton and Beecher
were represented by eminent counsel, ard
after long and sensational trial Mr.. Beecher
received a practical vindication from the
charges of immortality brought against him.
The great div1ne's last visit to England was
made some months ago, when he was the re-
cipient Of many attentions from notable
people. His salary has been S50.000 year,
save in 1874, when it was made S100, 900.